To Protect a Mother and a Brother
by InfinityAndOne
Summary: [One-Shot] Warning: Contains Spoilers. At the beach, Emilie knows she doesn't have long left, and asks one last request of her sons; they open their blood result letters.
_Hello! Now, I should be updating my other stories, but after reading/watching spoilers and my imagination jumping to horrible conclusions, I decided to write my version of what I think will happen based on spoilers for the 12th March, just what I hope won't happen. As mentioned in the summary, this will contain spoilers, so be warned._

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To Protect a Mother and a Brother

Cal and Ethan helped Emilie to carefully sit down on the bench, making sure to cover her up with a blanket and that the oxygen canister was nearby. It was a cold day, and what with Emilie's pneumonia and her deteriorating condition - it was already risky she was out at the bay. They just had to make sure she wouldn't get worse too quickly.

It was a fact now that Emilie didn't have long left, but the only relief all three of them had was that Cal and Ethan had given Emilie the joy of seeing her sons after almost thirty years. She had thought she'd never see them again, that they would never know she existed, that Matilda would never tell them that they were adopted. Yet, here they were, sitting on a bench looking out at the sea. The same sea they had all looked out at twenty-seven years previously.

"Thank you," Emilie said gratefully and she pulled the blanket up a bit closer. "It's nice to be back here... it's been years."

"I think I remember being here," Cal mentioned wistfully, and Ethan could only feel jealous. According to Emilie, he had been two and Cal had been four when they were taken away. Cal had managed to remember slight and minor details as he was reminded (either directly or indirectly) of them. Ethan, on the other hand, only remembered Matilda and everything around her. He guessed that's what made it less real to him.

"You buried your brother's feet and legs in the sand when I was putting together a sandwich. Ethan didn't like it one bit," she gave a breathy laugh, but instantly coughed harsly - sending both her sons into action.

"Are you alright?" Cal asker seriously as he got the oxygen mask out.

"Deep breaths," Ethan coached calmly as Cal put it onto her face.

After only a few short seconds, she batted it away. "I'm fine, my boys." Then she smiled. "My two sons... how I missed you."

Ethan and Cal both smiled. They were glad to be there for her, even after all these years.

"I'm sorry for not working hard enough to get in contact with you." Cal went to speak, but Emilie ploughed on. "And I'm sorry if either of you have the Huntington's gene... that will be my fault."

"No, no. Not at all. It will be no one's fault, Emilie... Mum." It felt weird - referring to another woman as Mum - as he had watched his Mum pass away. But it was true, he had two Mum's - Emilie and Matilda. One brought him into the world and cared for him, tried her hardest to care when she was struggling... and one looked after him throughout the rest of his life. They were both amazing people, and they were both his Mum. "You can't change the fact you have Huntington's... and if either of us have it, we can't change it. But in no way is anyone at fault."

"Ethan's right. For once," Cal said, smiling. "And whatever happens, you mustn't blame yourself."

Emilie nodded. "I trust you, my sons. And I'm just so happy to spend this time with you... But I haven't got long left... we all know that." She sounded close to tears. "So can I ask one more thing of you?"

Ethan and Cal both nodded.

"You know I asked you, Cal, to bring the letters? Please open them. I need to know... just as much as you two."

Ethan looked questioningly towards Cal, wondering what the letters were. Cal nodded, but looked apprehensive as he pulled out a couple of slightly crumpled letters from his pocket.

"What are these, Cal?"

"Remember when I told you I kind of took your blood and sent it off for testing?" Cal didn't have to continue. Ethan knew what the letters were now.

They would tell them if they had tested positive or negative for the Huntington's gene. These results could effectively ruin their lives, and Ethan wasn't entirely sure he wanted to look.

"Please?" Emilie breathed, coughing harsly again. Cal placed the oxygen mask back on her face.

It acted as a little reminder to Ethan that he would soon lose another mother... his biological mother... and her last wish was to know whether they had tested positive for the gene. They both owed it to her.

"Okay." Cal nodded uncertainly. "I'll go first."

Ethan watched as Cal's shaking hands (nerves or Huntington's?) slowly opened the envelope. The letter shook with his hands as it was pulled out of envelope. His eyes scanned the paper, and a smile grew across Cal's face instantly. His eyes lit up slightly.

Ethan knew what that meant. Cal didn't have the gene.

I... I don't have it..." he spoke a little surprised, but there was no hiding the glee in his voice.

Ethan knew he should feel relieved for his brother, but he still held his unopened envelope.

He watched as Cal wrapped his arms around Emilie, and she did the same back. "I'm happy for you," she whispered.

Ethan stood up slowly, knowing that it was his turn now. He almost ripped open the envelope in his haste, knowing it would be better to get it done and over with. He pulled out the letter more slowly, not wanting to damage it.

The fact that Cal tested negative seemed to make Ethan lose a bit of hope. Maybe because Cal didn't have it, he would. Yet, he knew that was rubbish. He had the exact same chance as Cal, so if Cal tested negative, he could also -

His hope died instantly.

Now he wished he'd kept the envelope closed.

He must have read it wrong. His eyes scanned the paper again and again.

Positive. He tested positive for the gene. _He tested positive._

 _Positive. Positive. Positive._ That one word went round and round in his head, it would go round for the rest of his life until he died. Probably slowly. Probably painfully. He would have Huntington's... the disease without a cure. As soon as it started, the hell wouldn't end.

He'd written a paper on Huntington's once, and done extensive research on the disease since knowing about Emilie. Now all he could think of was the pain. The complications. The symptoms. Everything he would go through... and there was no way of stopping it.

"Eth?" The younger man turned to face his brother, who was looking questioningly at him. Emilie had the same look on her face, wondering what the result was. "Positive or negative?"

Ethan knew he should tell them the truth, Emilie wanted to know what her son's results were... but she didn't have long left, and Ethan suspected she would blame herself a lot of she knew he tested positive for the gene. He didn't want that for her in her last moments. She deserved to be happy with her two sons. Happy and peaceful. Not guilty. Not sad. He couldn't be the one to stop her parting her life unhappy.

And Cal couldn't know. He would fuss over Ethan. Watch over him. Obsess over everything he did in case something was a symptom. In case he started showing signs of the beginning of the end. He couldn't burden Cal with that worry... or the pain when he finally does start to show symptoms. Cal would have to watch him suffer.

There was only one conclusion to this. Only one answer he could give.

"Negative."


End file.
